Aspen Center For Environmental Studies  Capital Campaign Update - October 2022

We are excited to share the most recent update on the projects and programs happening because of the success of ACES’ 50th Anniversary Campaign, “Protecting the Future.”

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have been able to undertake some of the most critical work in ACES’ history.

Hallam Lake Nature Preserve Restoration and Renovation

In early 2022, ACES completed a significant restoration and improvement project at Hallam Lake.
 
Over the winter, a team of contractors and restoration engineers successfully worked to repair Hallam Lake's earthen berm that was failing, while simultaneously improving riparian and aquatic habitat. We increased the lake's depth, lengthened trout spawning channels, and increased the overall area of gradual wetlands.
 
This past spring, we planted the new wetlands with hundreds of willows and over 10,000 wetlad plants.

The restoration project has been a huge success thus far, with wildlife returning to the preserve and plants happily growing.

The Hallam Lake Visitor Center renovation is in the permitting process, and we hope to obtain our permit in the next few months to move forward with renovations. Visitor center renovations will include a new roof, a safer entry and drop-off area, an improved science lab, classroom and more office space for staff.

Check out the Aspen Times article about the project here, or read this blog post by Jim Kravitz.

Learn about the project's success

The Catto Center at Toklat: Renovation Underway

Improvements to the Catto Center at Toklat are well underway. The renovations planned will ensure structural safety and longevity while preserving as much of the historic structure as possible. We are using salvaged wood and preserving the beloved meeting areas to honor the original home built by Stuart and Isabella Mace in the late 1940s.

An embodiment of ACES' environmental ethic and spirit of stewardship, Toklat will reemerge as an improved community retreat center where visitors can experience a meaningful connection to wilderness with the stunning backdrop of the Castle Creek Valley. The residency cabin will provide visiting artists, scholars, and storytellers with a place to gain inspiration and wisdom from the land through reflection and collaboration.

Additionally, the expansion of the original building will provide more ACES employees with housing.

To improve Toklat's renewable energy portfolio, ACES is installing rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels, as well as a micro-hydropower turbine to produce renewable electricity. As a result, the Catto Center at Toklat will be powered and heated primarily by self-generated renewable electricity.

We look forward to re-opening Toklat next June, if all construction stays on track.

Check out the Aspen Times article about the project here.

Learn about the renovation

Expanding Children's Environmental Education

ACES is in its second year of expanded programming in elementary schools in Newcastle, Silt, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, and other down valley schools experiencing severe budget cuts. Our impactful school programs aim to ensure that regional students, especially a growing number of low-income and disadvantaged youth, have equal access to nature and environmental science education. Through this education expansion, we are reaching over 400 new students each year.

ACES has found that our programs in the Roaring Fork and Garfield County School Districts are one of the best ways to engage the valley’s diverse communities with ecological literacy, environmental education, and the opportunity to build personal connections with their natural surroundings.

Our experiential education field programs are also expanding thanks to the Capital Campaign, providing more students with opportunities for hands-on learning along the Colorado River, at Rock Bottom Ranch, Hallam Lake, and other ecologically important sites throughout the region.

Read this Aspen Times article about our school programs.

Read about our ACES Ed expansion